TAMPA – Bruins head coach Claude Julien used the word “paralyzed” to describe his team’s lack of execution over the final 40 minutes today.

Many observers of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final, including those in the St. Pete Times press box, would probably use more profane words to explain how the Bruins blew a 3-0 lead to Tampa Bay and let the Lightning tie the series at two games apiece.

That type of gut reaction to another defeat in this roller-coaster postseason is natural. But as we all know, the best thing the 2010-11 Bruins is bounce back.

Not to take anything away from the Lightning, who upped their aggression and tweaked their breakouts enough through the neutral zone to maximize their speed and keep the Bruins chasing all over the ice. There’s no doubt, Tampa Bay played its best game.

On the other hand, over the final 40 minutes, the Bruins couldn’t have been much worse in terms of moving the puck and withstanding the Lightning’s forecheck. The tying and winning goals were the direct result of blatant giveaways by Tomas Kaberle and Milan Lucic, respectively. Tampa Bay’s first score was aided by Tim Thomas’ poor decision-making with the puck behind his own net.

Where have you read lines like this before? The Bruins coughed up to the puck numerous times on the way to their losses in Game 1 and 2 of the first-round series with Montreal. Game 1 of this Tampa Bay series was also a bow-wrapped gift to the Lightning.

Yet, here we are four games deep in the conference final and the Bruins are still standing.

There’s no need to panic, no need to pout and no reason to head for the nearest bridge. The necessary adjustments will be made and Thomas will get back on his game. When they put their mind to it, the Bruins’ first-line trio of David Krejci, Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton usually comes back with a monster game after a performance like their two-shot outing in Game 4.

Lots of questions in the postgame locker room today included the word momentum. The trick is, there is no momentum one way or the other with these Bruins. Even in sweeping the Flyers, every single game featured its own style, its own flow and its own identity. You never got the idea that because something happened in one game it will reoccur in the next.

Every game has had different heroes and goats from the last. That’s the beauty of this Bruins club that possesses an all-for-one mentality and strives to pick each other up when a slump strikes a star forward or a turnover bug bites a defenseman.

Some of you are going to think I’ve gone loony for writing this after one of the most disastrous defeats in postseason history. Losing a 3-0 lead in any game, let alone a playoff game, is rare. The Lightning sure made the Bruins look like they didn’t belong the same ice as them over the final 40 minutes.

Nonetheless, Game 3 looked quite the opposite. Although the final score was just, 2-0, it sure seemed like a more lopsided victory for the airtight defense and opportunistic offense the Bruins flaunted two evenings ago.

You have every reason to expect that Monday in Game 5, the Bruins of Game 3 will re-emerge. Or even better or differently solid team will take the ice.

Their “paralyzed” state isn’t likely to last more than just the couple hours it took today to cough up a game. There’ll be different pivotal plays, leading men and controversial calls in Game 5. And there’ll be different adjectives to describe the action when it’s done. None of what happens in that game, however, will have anything to do with the first four contests.

That’s the way the Bruins go about their business. Win or lose, it’s the perfect formula and it’s one that’s paid off so far.

-need major changes to the PP. Put Chara in front of the net. Stop trying to shoot from the point every time.

-TT has played average at best, though I don’t think he was that bad in game 4, he just never made the spectacular save. The Bruins are in the 3rd round basically only because TT made 3-4 spectacular saves in every win

-someone explain to me how Kaberle plays the next game? I mean, i dont get him playing in the 3rd period at all in Game 4. He should not play in game 5. i will take ANYONE else.

-what happened to Marchand? guy is a ghost in this round?

-how does Julien not call a timeout after the game got to 3-2? How!!!!??? Use the timeout you moron

-this is not a panic situation. The series is 2-2. It is now a best of 3, with 2 at home. if they cant win 2 in that situation, they dont deserve to go to the finals, let alone win the cup. no one said this was easy

-the bright side is this team has played games like that all season. lethargic effort on a massive scale and then they go out and look like world beaters. at least they are used to amazingly inconsistent play

I think the crappy power play is due to coaching. I think recently it has looked best with the umbrella and honestly looked best when it wasn’t the krejci line on it.

But the real PP problem is we just can’t get into the offensive zone with the puck.

I missed the first half of the game (daughter had a track meet) so looks like I got home in time to see the team fall apart. The play I saw looked awful-it was the typical “playing not to lose” we see so often from the team. I swear the team gets to 3 goals and they just shut it down, and once they shut it down they can’t get any rhythm back.

I do think the team can rebound from this-generally when they totally lay a stinker on the ice, they will bounce back and play good hockey. My fingers are crossed that they do just that tomorrow night.

When they put their mind to it, the top line is one of the best. Turnovers are usually not part of the Bs game. Thomas is of his game. The Bruins didn’t take the body. Boston didn’t fight back and let momentum get away. The Bs seemd “paralyzed” by the play.

Statements that are all true. My question is….when does the coach stop saying that these types of games are “uncharacteristic” and realize that they ARE characteristic of his team. Do something about it.

CJ is working on his perf. review with regards to what the leaders are going to tell PC when perf review comes around.

Try winning games more CJ. Not playing Séguin, miss use of Marchand, having useless Recchi in the line up… and I would really like Caron in the line up…. But that’s just me being me I guess. How about a kids line for instance??..

When you keep bouncing back does that mean your resilient or inconsistent? The bounce back play of the first line is getting old. Fourteen goals on Thomas in four games concerns me. Paralyzed isn’t the right term to describe the last two thirds of the game. They could still move but I think three goals on eight shots may have produced a state of shock. Each series is a chance for everyone to start a new. If you’re keeping score Thomas has been lousy in 50% of this series.

Lets all take a collective breath and hope lucic comes back from his ankle injury.Oh wait he’s not injured,just an average player inflated by the media in this town.should be on the third line not an elite player.first line ?maybe on edmonton

Does anyone think they could score witha two man advantage? Three man? All this time to redo the powerplay and it looks like it did at the end of the regular season. Could it possibly be poor coaching. Two months of no production reminds me of our current administration in d.c. Wake up you cloddophiles, this guy is not doing his best. He seems frozen.

They will respond. One quick thought how about moving Marchand up with Kre, Hoton for a few shifts. Marchand has been a little quiet this series but he is fast. Looch does not appear very mobile he could be hurt. I think Marchand lives for new opportunities and would be a great help busting into the zone with his speed and getting right on top of there defense man creating scoring chances and general mayhem.

I do agree with what you have written here MattK, it’s just the way they lost today given the opportunity a win presented is incredibly frustrating. If they lost that game 5-3 being down the whole time I would have felt different.

Tremblay, I didn’t call the team terrible…I said they played terrible team defense. The difference between you and everyone else is that your posts are designed to bother other people that view the site, don’t ever put me in that category. The fact that you still troll on this site after the Bruins lose a game….2 playoff rounds after the Canadiens have been knocked out….is pretty sad.

J.P.T. – The obvious difference is that other posters are primarily motivated by: 1. an opportunity to celebrate/vent
2. an opportunity to share their thoughts and discuss with others
3.have a laugh, etc.
On the other hand, your primary motivation is to rile up the other posters. A.K.A. troll the board.
I love this website. I consider you an unwelcome guest. Not because of your team allegiance or views, but because you seem mean-spirited, and frankly pathetic.

I completely agree that the Bruins will be back next game and play excellently. And I basically believe that Thomas will be back too…but I’m not as sure as I would have been prior to the series. He really hasn’t been at his best for any of the games except game two. As Thomas goes, so will the team. He didn’t give them a chance to win game four in my opinion.

I think he will be good…but I’m not as sure as I would have been before last game.

Matt, what do you mean.
On the other thread you tell me that I need to comment on hockey or else. All I have been doing is commenting on hockey. I watched todays game and I thought Thomas was bad and Chara and Kaberle were soft. That is no different than:
-George calling the team terrible
-Rick wondering if Kaberle plays for the Bolts
-George saying he has had enough of lucic
-MG saying The Kid needs to hit

All I do is comment on hockey where as:
-Sarge and many other posters are talking about golf on a hockey site????
– Sarge is insulting somene by telling them to shut their mouth.

Now I know Matt you are probably frustrated by the teams lose today as are many others. But don’t take it out on a loyal follower and frequent poster.